York City fans will be hoping to provide some Christmas cheer for the club's staff tonight.
Some of the proceeds of a bucket collection at tonight's home game with Lincoln will go towards the backroom staff.
Supporters' pressure group the Friends of Bootham Crescent (FoBC) and Supporters Club branch the Harrogate Minstermen have teamed up to help the Supporters' Trust with the collection.
FoBC spokesperson David Allison said: "Many supporters have been asking if there is anything we can do to show our solidarity with the back-room staff at the club, considering many of them are facing possible redundancy at the worst possible time of year.
"We have therefore decided to split the proceeds of tonight's collection, with half the money going to the Supporters' Trust as usual. The other half will be used to make a gift to each of the non-playing staff at the football club."
The York City Development Association will launch a new appeal to attract new members to its lottery, details of which will be given in a leaflet entitled 'Your Club Needs You' to every fan at tonight's game.
Supporters have been assured that none of the money will be swallowed up by the club's current plight which has seen it go into administration.
YCDA organiser Sue Chappell said it is totally separate from the football club. Out of all the money it raises a percentage goes to the company which runs the lottery with a percentage also going into a stakeholder fund which the YCDA then give to back the Minstermen.
Updated: 12:50 Friday, December 20, 2002
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